By the end of this story, you'll sound like a salmon fisherman that's spent a lifetime on the docks. In a good way.

We love our salmon. It's pretty much everywhere—widely available whether you're tracking it down at the supermarket or the fishmonger. It's easy to like—tender, mild-tasting, and versatile. It's even easy to cook—the fatty texture helps keep the fish tender and moist.

But even though salmon is the friendliest fish around, buying it can still be intimidating. A host of questions might run through your head every time you step up to your local fish counter: What should the fish look like? Why are there so many varieties? What's the deal with farmed salmon?

To sort through all of this, we spoke with Keith Harris, a port buyer for Whole Foods Market with over 30 years of experience in the commercial fishing industry. Harris lives and breathes salmon, spending the months between May and October on the ground in Alaska working with local fisherman. Here's everything you need to know from the man who knows, well, everything:

Look for vibrant fish at the store

First off, if you're close enough to the salmon to smell it, you shouldn't really smell much of anything and you definitely shouldn't smell fish. You're looking for the pleasant suggestion of a salty ocean breeze.

But your eyes are just as important as your nose when it comes to assessing fish freshness. Look for salmon that appears moist rather than dried out, since moisture content is a great indicator of freshness and how carefully the fish was handled. Avoid salmon with any browned spots on the belly, around the edges of the fillet, or instances where the skin has started browning and curling up. The same goes for bruised skin or a phenomenon known as "gaping," in which flakes at the cut edges of the fish begin to separate from each other.

Then, you'll want to look out for what Harris describes as "vibrantly colored" flesh, from deep shades of red to vibrant coral to bright pink. Pale fish is the enemy—bright hues mean fresh fish.

Fresh Isn't Always Best

Don't assume that fresh is always better than frozen fish. "Sometimes frozen is better than fresh," explains Harris. Plenty of frozen fish has been put on ice on boats right after it's caught to preserve its freshness. Harris adds that advancements in vacuum-packing technology has boosted the quality of frozen fish. In short, don't be afraid of the frozen stuff if you trust the source. And you'll definitely be eating previously frozen salmon if this is especially true if you want to eat wild salmon outside of its May-October season.

Don't Automatically Fear Farmed Salmon

Do a quick Google search for "farmed salmon." Go ahead, I'll wait.

You'll probably come across all sorts of cautionary tales about genetically modified fish and over-crowded breeding tanks. And it's true—there's a lot of questionable fish farming happening around the world. But, when produced under responsible circumstances, farmed salmon can be a low-cost, sustainably sourced alternative to wild-caught salmon.

Whether you should buy farmed salmon or not really comes down to where you're buying the stuff and how strict their sourcing standards are. While government-mandated regulations are relatively loose, higher-end grocery stores have self-imposed aquaculture guidelines and regulations. Plus, resources like Monterey Bay Aquarium's great website and iPhone app provide in-depth recommendations that provide detailed, real-time information about the best choices in farmed and wild-caught salmon (and virtually every other variety of fish).

So, don't run in the opposite direction of farmed salmon—just evaluate the choice on a case-by-case basis.

Know Your Salmon Varieties

Finally, having an understanding of the various varieties of salmon that are commercially available will give you a better idea of what you can expect when you buy the stuff in the case. Here, Harris walks us through each variety of wild salmon available in the Pacific, from most to least expensive.

King: When I mention this variety, Harris moans audibly. "OH—that's my favorite." Expect rich, buttery flavor and a price that will cost you more than any other variety. Think of King as the Cadillac of salmon.

Sockeye: Expect flesh with a deep, red color, and don't worry if the skin is light gray—chances are those varieties are just from extremely cold glacial waters. The best Sockeye are from sources like the Copper River, where the salmon have a long "run" to make and, as a result, must gorge themselves in advance for fuel, creating fish with plenty of rich, delicious fat.

Coho: They're widely available and freeze well ("I don't understand why—it's some chemistry deal," says Harris.) One thing to note: If you have access to extremely fresh fish, you'll want to avoid Coho at the very beginning of the season (the first week of July), since they need a bit more time to bulk up than other varieties.

Pink: Very mild in flavor and very fragile. "To me a Pink is at optimal quality the day it's caught," explains Harris. "But it doesn't freeze well or age well." As a result, a retailer like Whole Foods rarely sells Pink in its retail case. You'll find plenty of wild Pink sold in cans, though—and they're delicious in salmon cakes.

Chum: You might see this also labeled as Dogfish or "Keta." Chum salmon breed at the mouth of the rivers and streams and are lower in fat, making them great candidates for smoking. Typically, though, Chum is harvested for its roe. But, if you happen upon chum from the Yukon River or Johnstone Straight, you should jump at the chance to buy them, as they're meatier and great for grilled and smoke preparations.